Australia To Gain From England's T20 World Cup Elimination, Says Hazlewood

Josh Hazlewood acknowledged that it would be in Australia's best interest if England were eliminated from the T20 World Cup group stage. The reigning champions have had a stuttering start to their title defence, losing to the Australians after their opening match against Scotland was rained off.

Jos Buttler's side must now beat Oman and Namibia in their remaining Group B games while significantly boosting their net run-rate to stand any chance of advancing to the Super 8s. However, England would be knocked out on Sunday if Scotland were to beat Australia, who have already qualified for the next phase after winning each of their first three matches.

A narrow Australian win could also dethrone the defending champions, whose elimination Hazlewood admitted would boost his nation's chances of landing a second T20 World Cup crown. "In this tournament, you potentially come up against England at some stage again, and they're probably one of the top few teams on their day," the fast bowler said.

"We've had some real struggles against them in T20 cricket, so if we can get them out of the tournament, that's in our best interest, as well as probably everyone else's. There are a few options there, but to take confidence from winning and winning well, I think that's almost more important than potentially trying to knock someone else out."

Hazlewood further added, "They've still got a lot to do on their behalf as well, so I think it'll become clearer the closer we get to that sort of stuff."

Australia are through to the Second Round of #T20WorldCup 2024 after a comprehensive win over Namibia.

Australia are through to the Second Round of #T20WorldCup 2024 after comprehensive win over Namibia #AUSvNAM: https://t.co/07OgABBmlt pic.twitter.com/8o6ZB7Wos8

— T20 World Cup (@T20WorldCup) June 12, 2024

The Australian team has shown strong performance throughout the tournament, securing victories in all their matches so far. This puts them in a favourable position as they advance to the next stage, with hopes high for another title.

England's fate now hinges on their upcoming matches and other results within their group. The pressure is on for Buttler's squad to deliver decisive wins and improve their net run-rate significantly.

The dynamics of Group B remain tense as teams vie for a spot in the Super 8s. The outcome of these matches will be crucial in determining which teams advance and which face early exits from the competition.